The New Frontier: Reflections From the Irish Border
The New Frontier: Reflections From the Irish Border
edited by James Conor Patterson
‘A compelling and remarkable collection – and a timely one, in this moment when the Border has assumed an ever more urgent geopolitical relevance’ – The Irish Times
A landmark anthology from some of Ireland’s greatest contemporary writers, marking the centenary of partition and renewed international focus on the Irish border.
ISBN: 9781848408166 | 300pp | Hardback | Publication date: 22 October 2021
The New Frontier is a landmark publication of writing from the Irish Border, composed of non-fiction, fiction and poetry – it is a chorus of voices from some of the island’s greatest writers, that conveys in its multiplicity the true meaning of our border. At a time when the division of our shared island has once again become an international concern, the Border now a threshold between Europe and the United Kingdom, The New Frontier seeks to explore the meaning of this partition in the 21st century for those people that inhabit that divide.
This collection of writing ultimately poses the question: What does it mean to be Irish, Northern Irish, or British in the modern age, and what does it mean to live on a threshold between a kingdom and a republic?
The New Frontier will undoubtedly become a key cultural and literary touchstone. This anthology considers the border, and our historical divisions, through literature, by inviting writers from border areas to respond imaginatively and instinctively. By writing the land, writing the body, writing the lived experiences of this complex and misunderstood part of Ireland, The New Frontier looks to reclaim the border region from decades of misinterpretation and misunderstanding.
Featuring writing from:
Darran Anderson, Maureen Boyle, Colette Bryce, Garrett Carr, Luke Cassidy, Emily Cooper, Jill Crawford, Dean Fee, Michelle Gallen, Peter Hollywood, Michael Hughes, John Kelly, Marcel Krueger, Orla McAlinden, Bronagh McAtasney, Mícheál McCann, Jess McKinney, Maria McManus, Pat McCabe, Annemarie Ní Churreáin, Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Conor O’Callaghan, Abby Oliveira, Séamas O’Reilly, Lias Saoudi, Eoghan Walls, Nidhi Zak/AriaEipe.
JAMES CONOR PATTERSON is a poet and essayist from Newry, Co. Down. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Irish Times, New Statesman, Poetry Review and The Stinging Fly, among others. In 2019, he received an Eric Gregory Award, and was shortlisted for the White Review Poet’s Prize in 2021.
“a compelling and remarkable collection – and a timely one”
“The idea for the book has been on my mind for some time now, probably since the Brexit vote when it became apparent that there would be consequences for freedom of movement across the Irish border. I quickly found that for all the news reports, vox pops and column inches being filled, very often the voices which were left out of the conversation were the ones most affected by it, and I wanted to redress that balance by giving border writers the opportunity to speak their truths. Working with New Island on this book has been an absolute dream, and given that they are behind some of the most important anthologies of Irish writing to date, I can’t wait to share this latest project with the world.”
“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support the publication of The New Frontier, thanks to funding from National Lottery players. This wonderful new anthology features a wealth of writing talent from across the island of Ireland, including a number of emerging writers, for whom this publication represents an important milestone in their professional writing careers. Congratulations to New Island Books in bringing this terrific new work to light to be enjoyed by readers this autumn.”
“All of us at New Island are thrilled to be publishing this landmark anthology of border writing, at a moment in time when the Irish border appears to sit on the threshold of great change and renewed international focus. The contributors to this book are some of the best writers at work today, across fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and they offer an essential chorus of voices from our shared border – not simply about it. There could be no better coordinator of this incredible project than James Conor Patterson, whom – so early in his career – has proven to be a voice of reason amid the noise, and a literary talent so clearly on the rise. ”
Gratefully supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Lottery Funding
